VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1929-1932 Production numbers 31 phaeton

Does the quantity of 1931 phaetons (852) produced include all export cars as well as US cars? A friend of mine in Norway has a 31 phaeton, with body number XBAE1114 while mine has XBAE1129. Both of these cars were imported to Norway via Copenhagen. My framerail had 'Copenhagen' stenciled on it. Both cars have cowl lights, single-bulb headlamps and rear mounted spares. Jo, VCCA 18184

The numbers generally reported are USA factories only. David Hayward did a tremendous amount of work on Canadian and overseas production. You might find records in the data he collected. If you google "David Hayward Chevrolet" or something related to that you should find several sites to look. Unfortunately David is on his final Chevrolet Tour. Ken Kaufmann is still with us researched and authored or co-authored a bunch of information on old Chevrolets. He checks into ChatII occasionally. You might also google him.

Here is a great link

http://www.gmhistory.chevytalk.org/The_HOLDEN_Car_Project_By_David.html

Thank you for providing the info. I googled for D Hayward Chevrolet. Very interesting information. Based on what I read, most likely the seven different 31 Phaetons I have seen in Norway over the years are not included in the 852 count. Jo

I agree. The 852 are USA production. Canadian and overseas are additional cars to that total. I would bet the cars in Norway were assembled in Copenhagen unless imported from the States or SA (either South Africa or South America).

Typically Canadian sales of most products over the years is about 10% of American sales, all things considered (we have about 1/10th the U.S. population), so I figure '31 Phaeton sales in Canada considering our less attractive northern climate would be less than 85, something in the 50 range. Overseas export would likely be of similar magnitude, perhaps 50-60, and this might suggest total worldwide production of these rare models would be about 1,000 units.

What is the source of the production number? I ask because at least a few people on this site have opined that historic published production numbers are not usable.

GM had an assembly plant in Copenhagen Denmark.

I have no idea where they got all their parts from, most likely the USA as Canada was shipping to the other members of the Commonwealth countries . Something to do with import duties costs buying from USA.

I read where that was the case regarding Australia getting CKD from Canada and complete built up cars.

mike.........

So this question leads me to another question about phaetons in General.
'30 I think I remember there were over a 1000 built.
'31 852
'32 419
'33 ?
'34 257 maybe?
'35 217

So this body style was the lowest production in any year, would it not make since that they were all built in 1 or 2 locations? And I’m talking only the US since we know these numbers are US production only….We know they were made in other plants around the world.

My understanding is that the Roadster and Phaeton bodies were built by one or more body companies under contract to Chevrolet. They are often referred to as Chevrolet bodies as apposed to Fisher Bodies. Chevrolet did not have a body plant that built passenger bodies in that time period. Yes they did have a commercial body plant in Indianapolis but not a passenger plant.

I further understand the (or those) body company(ies) produced the complete bodies and shipped them to the assembly plants. I would expect that because of the low production only one plant was used by each contract company. I expect that the metal stampings were also supplied to Canada and some other overseas plants as making dies to produce the parts would far outweigh the shipping and manufacturing cost savings low production volume bodies.

An example that is better documented is the later wood sided station wagons. Another is the '28 Canopy Express that apparently were built by Hercules. At least all that I know of were built by one company.

I have a notation in my production info , that in 1934 GM USA Chevrolet produced 234 STANDARD SERIES DC TOURINGS AND 217 FOR 1935 STANDARD EC SERIES TOURINGS.

Canada produced 3 for 1935.......and none were produced for domestic sales

for EXPORT COMPLETE CARS in 1934 standard series I have :
8 LHD CHEVROLET model 1256 L and
4 LHD CHEVROLET model 1256 SL....
THERE WAS EXPORTED 27 RIGHT HAND DRIVE MODEL 1256 R AND
19 MODEL SR.

I AM USING Chevrolet model number BECAUSE THESE ARE NOT FISHER BODIES.

For 1933 in an article **in Spanish** regarding the GM assembly plant in Buenos Aries, Argentina, there was a notation that 543 master CA phaetons were produced in the article.

All of these cars I am referring too have the USA GM body lines, different than the gm holden Australia lines.

For Canada in 1933 Chevrolet phaetons, apparently none on model 150 5 passenger phaeton were sold for domestic production , but for export to ???? 26 LHD and 40 RHD were built.

that's all I got

mike